Baseboard construction



Feb. 12, w Q DE R00 BASEBOARD' CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet' FIG. 2

Filed June 14, 1951 "O Emst i; it:

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Feb.'12, 1957 wjc. DE noo BASEBOARD CONSTRUCTION Filed June 14, 1951 2sneetssheet 2 Plas , Ils/VE'AY/Tolc` WILLIAM C.' DE ROO BY A flmwww ATTYS.

BAsEBoARD CoNsrRUC'rroN Wiliiam C. De Roo, Holland, Mieli., assigner toHart &

Cooiey Manufacturing Co., Holland, Mich., n corporation of DelawareAppieation June 14, 1951, Serial No. 231,535

8 Claims. (Cl. 98-49) This invention relates in general' to a novelconstruction of baseboard located adjacent the wall of a room at theiioorline thereof and is particularly directed to a form of baseboardadapted for use in connection with the perimeter heating of a` room.

he trend toward placing the'so'urce of heat in a room or building towardthe outside walls thereof has made it desirable to use forced airas atransmitter of the heat from the furnace to the area to be heated. ithas also been found advantageous to have the air distributed as evenlyas possible at the place of entering the room along the baseboard of theentire wall.

Heretofore, various types of registers have been designed which wereinserted into a standard baseboard and-which directed the air up againstthe wall in an arc. Such a procedure, however, obviously did not resultin an even distribution of the air alongA the entire Wall. There havealso been attempts inthe past to construct baseboards which woulddistribute the air evenly along the entire wall, but in those casesthere have been many construction diiiiculties experienced which hasprevented their ready adoption by the public.

It is, therefore, a principalobject of the present invention to providea novel baseboard construction which will act to distribute the airevenly alongthe entire wall of a room and which is designed to overcomethe construction diiculties mentioned hereinabove, thereby enabling theready adoption thereofby the public.

Another object of the invention is to' provideY a novel baseooardconstruction adapted for use in connection with the perimeter heatingofa room wherein air will be distributed evenly over an entire wall from aforced air source.

A further object of theinvention is to provide a baseboard constructionadapted to be readily installed at the juncture of the door and wall'of:a room and which may be easily adjusted along the length thereof so thatair entering the room through an opening or openings therein will beevenly distributedalong the entire wall.

Still another object of the inventionV is to provide a novel baseboardconstruction forl perimeter heating which will adapt itself readily forinstallation at the juncture of the floor and walll of a room whetherthe wall be of the conventional lath and plaster type'or may be of wallor plaster board;

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel baseboardconstruction for perimeterV heating which is formed of two-membershaving aV space therebetween for the passage of air from a forced airsource into the room and wherein the space between the two members maybe readily adjusted to ca usean even distribution of the air along theentire wall.

Still another object' of the invention is to provide a novel baseboardconstruction for' perimeter heating wherein a backplate may be locatedbetween'the oor and wall of a room and securedto the wall studs andwherein a faceplate consisting Vof two' spaced-apart members is adaptedto lne-located along thelength of the wall 2,780,979 Patented Feb., 12,19,57

in spaced relation to the backplate whereby the space between thebackplate and the faceplate will form a conduit for air and the spacebetween the two members of the faceplate will permit the air to passtherethrough into the room. Y

Still another and more speciiic object of the' invention is to provide abaseboard construction for perimeter heating wherein a backplate isprovided and secured t0 the wall studs and terminating in an upperlongitudinal edge and an inwardly extending lower edge. The lower edgeis set at the door to the height of the expected finished liooring. Theupper edge underlies the bottom edge of the wall lath and has a portionthereof protrudtom edge thereof and between the wall and the oor, andwherein a faceplate formed of two spaced apart members is adapted to bereleasably held in place against the wall and the door by fasteningmeans either secured to or formed as an integral part of the upper andlower edges of the backplate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novely form of adjustingmeans for regulating the space between the two members forming thefaceplate to enable the airl passing through the space therebetween tobe distributedevenly over the entire wall.

Still another and specific object of the invention-is to provide abaseboard construction for perimeter heating wherein a plurality ofopenings for the passage of warm air are so arranged as to permit air tobe forced outwardly parallel with the door in addition to the airpassing upwardly along the wall.

Other objects and advantages of the invention-will become apparent uponreading the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view through the wall and door of a roomand illustrating one form of baseboard construction embodying thepresent invention, and taken along line i-i of Fig. 3;

Fig. 2 is a somewhat enlarged horizontal sectional view of the adjustingmeans taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevational View of the baseboard embodying the presentinvention showing the floor and air conduit in section;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. l but illustrating a modified form ofthe invention, and taken along line @4 4 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line S-S of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the baseboard illustrated in Fig. 4with parts broken away and parts in section for the sake of clarity;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 4, but showing a' furthermodication; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the modification shown inFig. 7.

lrieiiy described, the invention herein contemplatesv The upper memberof the faceplate extends downwardlyY to a point below the upper edge ofthe lower member.

VThe upper and lower members of the faceplate are thus in overlappingand spaced relation so that air directed through the opening in thebackplatc may be distributed along the wall behind the faceplate andwill pass into the room through the space between the upper and lowermembers of the faceplate.

It will be evident that more air will tend to pass into the room in theimmediate vicinity of the connection of the stack with the backplatethan elsewhere along the length of the baseboard. In order to preventthis occurrence, adjusting means have been provided to regulate thespace between the two members of the faceplate so that, if desired, theymay be adjusted closer together immediately adjacent the stack andfarther apart on each side thereof, thereby to allow the air coming fromthe stack tobe more evenly distributed along the baseboard.

.Y Referring now more particularly to the drawings and especially toFigs. 12 and 3, the numeral 1 is used to indicate the finished floor ofa room and 2 indicates the subfloor. As is customary in dwellings, astack 3 may extend from a furnace below the floor and-terminate-abovethe lioorline in a stackhead 4. The particular wall constructionillustrated in Fig. l is formed of lath and plaster wherein the lath isindicated at 5 and the nished plaster wall at 6.

Y The invention herein embodies a backplate generally indicated'at 7which terminates at its upper edge in a forwardly extending portionBanda downwardly extending lip 9. While the backplate 7 may be formed ofany desired or suitable cross sectional configuration, it has been foundpractical to make this backplate with a rear portion 1t) adapted to bepositioned substantially vertically and a lower forwardly extendingportion 11 adapted to be positioned substantially in a horizontal planeand to have its forward edge terminate adjacent the edge of the door 1.The forwardly extending part 8 at the top of the backplate is adapted toabut against the under edge of the lath, thereby permitting this part ofthe backplate to act as a plaster guide so that the plasterer will havesomething to strike against, thereby resulting in a smooth finish of theplaster wall all along the bottom edge. The` backplate 7 is adapted tobe secured to the wall studs 12 by any suitable means such as nails 13.ln order to attach the stackhead 4 to the backplate 7 and to permit airfrom the furnace to be directed through the backplate, an opening 14 iscut into the rear side and bottom thereof. The opening 14 issubstantially the size of the opening of the stackhead and the twomembers are secured together by bending ears such as shown at 15, 16 and17 on the stackhead around the edges of the opening in the backplate.The ears and 16 are located at each end of the opening 14 and the ear 17is bent back over the upper edge of the opening. Similar ears *18 (Fig.l) are bent back over the portion of the opening extending horizontallyas shown at 11.

When the stackhead 4. is thus secured in place to the backplate 7, warmair coming from the furnace will be directed through the opening 14 inthe backplate..

The baseboard construction of the present invention also includes afaceplate generally indicated at 19 and comprises an upper member 2liand a lower member 21. The upper member Ztl extends forwardly a shortdistance from a point adjacent the lower edge of the plastered wall 6and then downwardly as at 22. The lower member 21 of the faceplateextends upwardly from the floorline in spaced relation to the portion 22of the upper member 2l) and in overlapping relation therewith. The upperlongitudinal edge of the bottom member 21 is preferably bent rearwardlyat an angle as indicated at 23.

f YThe upper and lower members 2li and 21 of the baseboard assembly areheld together by suitable means which may be adjusted to regulate thespace between the two members. While any suitable means may be used forthis purpose, it has been found advantageous to use a yieldable membersuch as a spring indicated generally by the numeral 24 in Fig. 2. Theparticular form of spring disclosed herein comprises wings 25 and 26positioned in diverging relation between the overlapping and spacedportions 21 and 22 of the baseboard assembly. A fiat portion 27 connectsthe two wings 25 and 26 and has an opening therethrough in alignmentwith a similar opening in the lower baseboard member Zlfor the receptionof a screw 28. The screw extends between the members 21 and 22 and isreceived by an opening in the inner member 22.

There is preferably a plurality of these yieldable adjusting members 24spaced along the length of the baseboard assembly Vat any desireddistance apart.V The yieldable member 24 consisting of the wings 25 and26 will bear against the inner surfaces of the upper and lower members20 and 21 of the baseboard assemblyand will hold these members rigidlyin spaced apart relation. It will be evident that the space between theportions 21 and 22 of the baseboard faceplate may be regulated byturning screw 28 and the two members will be maintained in the adjustedposition by means of the yieldable spring member 24. The dotted lineposition of the upper and lower members 2G and 21 illustrated in Fig. lshows the position of the two members when theV screw 28 has been turnedto move the two members farther apart, thereby providing a greater spacebetween them.

The entire faceplate assembly is removably mounted in a very simplemanner against the wall and oor of the room. The upperV rear edge of theupper member 20 is bent downwardly as at 29 and is adapted to bereceived between the wall and a retaining member 30. This retainingmember 30 is yieldable and has the lower end thereof secured to thedownturned portion 9 of the backplatc. There may be a plurality ofthese. retaining members 3@ spaced apart through the length of thebackplate in order to yieldably hold the faceplate assembly againstinadverent movement.

The lower'edge of the lower member 21V extends rearwardly as at 31 andis preferably. provided with a curled lip 32 adapted to be receivedunder the forward bottom edge of the backplate. The forward bottom edgeof the backplate is preferably bent upwardly and then downwardly toprovide a recess into which the curled lip 31 may be received. Since theupper and lower members of the faceplate assembly are rigidly securedtogether by means of the yieldable members 24, the entire assembly willbe maintained in place by means of the retaining members 30 at the topthereof and the forward edge of the backplate at the bottom thereof.

f It will be understod that the heating loss of the room and the lengthof the wall determines the number of stacksY necessary in any giveninstallation. A single stack may be suliicient if the heating loss islow and the length of the wall to be heated is not very great. Lowerwalls as well as greater heat loss would require perhaps two or moresuch stacks. In usingV the present invention, however, the number ofstacks is an unimportant detail from the structural standpoint becausean Opening may be cut in theV backplate to accommodate each stack.

It will also be apparent that a greater amount of warm air will tend toescape into the room through the space between the two memberscomprising the faceplate in the immediate vicinity. of the stack thanelsewhere along the length of the baseboard. The adjustable featureaboveV described, whereby the space between the two members of thefaceplate can be adjusted, will enable this space in theY vicinity ofthestack to be made smaller than at other locations along the length of thebaseboard. Thus, as the air entersnthe conduit formed by the backplateand faceplate, it will be distributed along the length thereof in such away that substantially the same amount of warm air will enter theV roomthrough the space between the faceplate members at all points along itslength.

The baseboard construction embodying the present invention is alsoadaptable for use inV connection with the so-called dry wallconstruction where the thickness of the plaster coating in the lath andplaster construction is eliminated. The present baseboard assembly beingadapted for use with aV dry wall construction will also eliminate thenecessity' for carrying a separate type of heating unit or register inthe absence of a lath. and plaster construction. All that is necessaryin this instance is to provide a spacer strip behindthe baseboardretainer members and then assemble the faceplate against the dry wall ina similar manner, above described, with respect to the plaster wall.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate the use ofthe present invention as appliedto a dry wall construction. In these figures, similar reference numeralshave been used to identify similar parts. The same stack arrangement`may be used and secured to the backplate 7 in the same manner by bendingthe ears of the stackhea'dl around the edges of an opening cut into thebackplate. The backplate is provided With the same forwardly extendingportion S at the upper edge thereof and the downward extension 9 towhich the retainers 30 are xed. Since the layer of plaster is eliminatedin this construction, there will be but a single thickness'of the drywall as indicated at 33. A spacer strip 34 isV located on top of theforward extension and is heldin place by the retainers 39. Thedownwardly extending lip 29 at the rear edge of the upper memberindicated in-Fig. 4 as 20a will be located against the Wall33` andbehind the spacer strip 34.

Other than the foregoing, the construction may be identical with thatpreviously described wherein the lower member 2l of the faceplate isrigidly secured to the upper member 2da by means of the resilientadjustable member 24 and the screw 28. There being a plurality of theseadjustable members 24 spaced along the length of the baseboard, thescrew of each one may be individually adjusted to regulate the spacebetween' the two members of the faceplate in order that .the air passingtherebetween maybe evenly distributed along the length of the wall.

It has also been found advisable incertain instances, where it isdesired that a greater amount of air reach the space between the memberswith less resistance, to place a series of holes in that part of theupper member a which is in overlapping relation with the lower member21. ln this connection it may be stated that in the ordinary andpreferred construction the air directed against the rear side of thefaceplate must find itsway to the space between the upper endA lowermembers by passing below the bottom edge of the upper member. Thiscreates a certain amount of resistance and itis for this purpose that aseries of openings 35 may be placed in the upper member 2da. Theseopenings are illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 as being circular andlocated in a double row relatively close together. It will be obvious,however, that the shape, size and number of the openings may vary tosuit particular purposes without in any way departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

It will be noted that the adjustability feature of the invention,whereby the amount of air passing into the room may be regulated, willstill be effective even with the openings 35 present, since they arelocated below the actual passage between the two members of thefaceplate through which the air passes.

A still further feature embodied in the present invention which may beadded to the structure hereinabove described is illustrated in Figs. 7and 8. This feature involves the placing of a plurality of openings 36in the lower part of theA lower member 21'- of the baseboard structure.When-the holes or openings are placed-sube stantially as illustrated,they permit. air to be forced out'- Wardly parallel with the floor inaddition tothe air which will be entering the roomr and passing upwardlyalong` the wall through the adjustable spaceV between the upper andlower members of the baseboard;

These openings which permit a passage of: the air paralf lel to the oorserve an entirely diierent` purpose' than baseboard registers heretoforeknownk where slotsor openings are provided, and are of a directionalcharacter causing the air to'flow in theV drectionother than parallelwith the floor. The combination. of the openings 36 with the upward iiowof warm air through tlie space betweenv the baseboardrmembers resultsin'warm' air passingup` wardly substantially parallel with the wall.andi another ow of air parallel with the oor,.thereby. providingfex-Vcellent coverage of the cold portion; ofV the room.

While the openingsf36 have been specifically illustrated as circular andas being located relativelyclose together,

it will be understood that suclrop'eningsmay assurn'el any desired sizeor'shape to suit the needs ofitheparticul'ar construction without in anyway departing.: from thef spirit.- of the invention. It is further to benoted that these openings 36'may be used either with. the construction?shown in Fig. 4 or with that shown in Fig; l, .an'dma'yalso be usedeither with or without the combination' o'f the openings 35 shown inFig;V 6.

From' the foregoing description,. itV will' beapparent that'a novelformof baseboardconstruction for' perimeter heating has been designedwhichis useful in any dwelling where forced air is the heatingzmediurnregardless of the; type of wall structure. It' will also befevident thatthe constructionV is such'that w-armiair enteringtheroom may' be evenlydistributed over the entirewallareaby'properl ly regulating theadjusting means for the'spac'efin' the faceplate through which4 the airmustzpa'ssfin'v order toenter the room. The' construction issuch'thatlitma'y be economically manufactured and easily installed andover comes the construction diihculties' which have been exi periencedin the past, and` which has prevented other perimeter heatingarrangements fromY being readily adopted by the public.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and: arrangement of partsfrom those disclosed herein without' in any way departing from thespiriti ofthe invention or sacrificing any of the attendantadvantagesfthereof, provided, however, that'such changes'fall within thescope of the claims appended hereto. v

The inventionris hereby claimed' as follows:

l. A baseboard construction'.forperirneter heating ofan enclosed areahaving a iioorV and Walls comprisingan elongated back plate secured tothe studding-of the'wall,

the upper longitudinal edge of said plate terminating ad# jacent thelower edge ofthe wall spaced upwardlyfrom the iloor and the lowerlongitudinal edgeV of said plate terminating adjacent the edge of thedoor, an' upper face plate disposed forwardly'of and spaced fromsaid'back.A

plate and extending downwardly from the lower edge of the wall, theupper edge ofV said upper faceplate being in contact with the wall, alower face plate extending upwardly from the floor and spaced forwardlyof said upper face plate, whereby air from behind said face plates willbe directed into the room through the space therebetween, and means forvarying said last named space to control the amount of air passingtherethrough.

2. A baseboard construction for perimeter heating comprising anelongated back plate and a face plate spaced from said back plate, meansclosing the space between the upper and lower edges of said face plateand the upper and lower edges respectively of said back plate to providean air conduit, said face plate including an upper member and a lowermember spaced forwardly from said upper member and in overlappingrelation therewith, means normally maintaining said members in spacedrelafor varyingV the space between said members to control the amount ofair passing therethrough.

3. A baseboard construction for perimeter heating of an enclosed areahaving a oor and walls comprising an elongated back plate, a forwardlyextending portion at the upper edge thereof adapted to be locatedagainst the bottom edge of the wall spaced upwardly from the oor, aforwardly extending portion at the lower edge of said backiplate adaptedto be positioned adjacent the edge of a floor, an elongated face platespaced forwardly of said back plate and cooperating therewith to providean air conduit, said face plate including spaced apart upper and lowermembers, the lower member being spaced forwardly of said upper member,yieldable means for detachably securing Vsaid upper member in placeadjacent the upper edge of said back plate, yieldable means fordetachably securingsaid lower member in place adjacent the lower edge ofsaid back plate, and means for varying the space between said members tocontrol the amount of air passing therethrough from the conduit.

4. A baseboard construction for perimeter heating of an enclosed areahaving a ioor and walls comprising an elongated back plate, a forwardlyextending portion at the upper edge Vthereof 4adapted to be locatedagainst the bottom edge of a wall spaced upwardly from the oor, aforwardly extending portion at the lowerY edge of said back plateadapted to be positioned adjacent the edge of the floor, an elongatedface plate spaced forwardly of said back plate and cooperating therewithto provide an air conduit, said face plate including spaced apart upperand lower members, the lower member being spaced forwardly of said uppermember, a plurality of retainers mounted on the upper edge of said backplate and spaced along the length thereof for clamping a part of saidupper member against the wall, means for detachably securing said lowermember in place adjacent the oor and the lower edge of said back plate,and means for varying the space between said members to control theamount of air passing therethrough from the conduit.

5. A baseboard construction for, perimeter heating of an enclosed areahaving a floor and walls comprising an elongated back plate, a forwardlyextending portion at the upper edge thereof adapted to be locatedagainst the bottom edge of Ia wall spaced upwardly from the floor, aVforwardly` extending portion at the lower edge of said back platehaving a lip thereon adapted to bear downwardly against the oor, anelongated face plate spaced forwardly of said back plate and cooperatingtherewith to provide an air conduit, said face plateY including vspacedupper and lower members, the lower member being spaced forwardly fromsaid upper member, means for detachably securing said upper member inplace adjacent the upper edge of said back plate, a rearwardly extendinglip at the lower edge of said lower member adapted to be insertedbetween the lip on said back plate and the floor to detachably hold saidlower member in place, and means for varying the space between saidmembers to control the amount of air passing therethrough from theconduit.

an elongated back plate, a forwardly extending portion at the upper edgethereof adapted to be locatedagainst the bottom edge of a wall spacedupwardly from the oor, a forwardly extending portion at the lower edgeof said back plate having a lip thereon adapted to bear downwardlyagainst the oor, an elongated face plate spaced forwardly of said backplate and cooperating therewith to 6. A baseboard construction forperimeter heating of an enclosed area having a oor and walls comprisingprovide an air conduit, said face plate including spaced apart upperandlower members, a plurality of retainers mounted on the upper edge ofsaid back plate and spaced along the length thereof for receiving a partof said upper member and clamping it against the wall, a rearwardlyextending lip at the lower edge of said lower member adapted to beinserted between the oor and the lip on said back plate to detachablyretain said lower member in place, and means ,for varying the spacebetween said members to control the amount of air passing therethroughfrom the conduit.

7. A baseboard construction for perimeter heating of an enclosed areahaving a oor and walls comprising inner and outer face members mountedin spacedv apart and overlapping relation, the upper edge of the innermember being against the wall and the lower edge of the outer memberbeing against the oor, whereby air directed against one side thereofwill pass through the space therebetween, a plurality of openingsthrough said inner member in the area thereof overlapping said outermember to allow the outward passage of additional air, and means forvarying said space to control the amount of air passing therethrough. Y

V8. A baseboard construction for perimeter heating of an enclosed areahaving a oor and walls comprising inner and outer face members mountedin spaced apart and'overlapping relation, the upper edge of the innermember being against the wall and the lower edge of the outer memberbeingragainst the floor, whereby air directed against one side thereofwill pass through the space therebetween, a plurality of openingsthrough said inner member in the area thereof overlapping said outermember to allow the outward passage of additional air, and yieldable andadjustable means connected between said members for varying said spaceto control the amount of air passing therethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent France Feb. 22, 1943 MIM,

